Yellow Blooms

 Found the first of the smallest  yellow Lady Slippers in our area.  This very nice clump is on one of the roads we take in the evenings. 

Yesterday I had an Eye Doctor appointment.  He loves to dilate my eyes, so much so that it takes the rest of the day to get back to normal.  My eyesight has changed a bit but not much, 20 20 and 20 15.   I have to go back for some more tests....field of vision and another one that I cannot recall the name of.  My "night driving glasses" need to be updated.  I do not use them often but when I do I want to be able to see through them! 

I will take the reading glasses script to Wally World and get some new reading glasses.   It has been several years since they have been updated. 

Cross something off my list and add a few more appointments...

My shoulder is still sore, but I was able to mow the lawn again and help with supper.   I partially watched Dark Shadows on Netflix , I give the music a 10 and what I saw of the show a 2.  I slept through most of it. 

Far Side

Be a Helper

 We had a few frustrating days, with medical appointments changed and cancelled.  The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing and they are not consulting each other.  They are not helpers...well we had one helper who scheduled everything and later in the day a different nurse (Nurse Ratched type) called and cancelled everything...she was a real bitch non helper.

My eye doctor called I have a wrinkle in my retina, he says he is not concerned at this time however I have to do the test over again in six months.  Should my vision change I should call him immediately.   He is a helper. 

We went for a ride on the trails yesterday and while we were gone our patio table exploded...the glass top shattered into many pieces...Far Guy says a million pieces.  We were getting it cleaned up when my other baby brother and she who sees robins first stopped by.  She who sees robins first helped me sweep up the glass.  My other baby brother said we could put the steel frame in his bin that will get recycled someday.  Their Grand Ava was along...she helped by carrying a vacuum cleaner from the garage.  They were all helpers.  It took a while to vacuum all the cracks and crevices between the pavers.   We were tired had a nap and after supper we vacuumed some more...we are reasonably sure we have that huge mess cleaned up.

Even Baxter can be a helper! 

Our area has a number of anti vax people...I have relatives that are against vaccinations.  How are they helping vulnerable transplant patients or children that are immune compromised.  Of course none of them have Polio, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Measles, Mumps,  Ruebella or Small Pox...why are they protected from the diseases that could take their lives...because they had mothers (helpers) who cared about them!  Yet they choose to play the Covid lottery...I guess that is their choice.  Sadly they are not helpers.

Far Side

Reading Glasses

You know those new reading glasses that I have had for a year…never been able to wear them because the prescription is off…they are on their third set of lenses.

I had hoped they would be fixed this time.  Things are still blurry.

I hate blurry.  I like things crisp and clean and easy without a struggle.

The ever so helpful gal at the eye doctors office said “You should wear them as much as possible and then you will get used to them.”   I asked politely how do you wear a pair of reading glasses that you cannot read with?  I had to bite my quivering lip.  “Well you will have to see the Doctor again.”  Fine.

Far Guy says just give up already.  But I am tired of looking through the scratches of my old readers that I can see quite clearly and crisply with.  Right now it is the principal of the thing…why can’t they make the new glasses with the price approaching $1,000 just like my old ones that I can see with? 

I have an appointment soon.  Time will tell if I will be able to ever read with the new pair of glasses. 

Customer Service is most likely non existant at the new eye clinic. 

I called that gal every bad name I could think of in my mind.   I even photographed a flower that made me feel better.

Up yours Coneflower

For the record.  Far Guy tried on my old readers from 2011, and then the new readers and he says they are not the same glasses.

My Blepharitis is much better, the eye wash cloths seem to be taking care of the problem, my eyes are much improved.

Bleph and other stuff

That is short for what I have.  Blepharitis.  When your eye feels like it has something in it, it is sore, scratchy, itchy and will drive you half nuts.  It is an inflamation of the eyelids, often the tiny oil glands near your eyelashes become plugged.  People with psoriasis often have problems…well guess who has psoriasis.

I finally called the eye clinic and insisted I have the old eye Doctor and not the new one fresh out of school.  I explained my symptoms and told him that he has seen many more eye balls than the new eye Doctor and he just laughed.  I am to discontinue the antibiotic drops…and have special wipes to cleanse my eyes twice a day…and they are already better.  I also got my year old reading glasses straightened around so maybe I can see the computer with them.  I have a pair of prescription reading glasses from 2010 that work great…another pair from 2012 but the new ones from 2017 were a complete failure.  ( One of the gals at the Vision Ordering Area told me to wear them all the time and my eyes would get used to them???  I said “They are just reading glasses should I wear them even if I cannot see?” She was obviously a idiot…I finally said very sweetly alrighty then I will talk to the Dr.) 

It has been a week and it is not over yet.

We attended the visitation/wake for our long time friend (since 1975) who died.  Jim was 71 years old.  We enjoyed the slide show and the rock n roll music at the visitation.  We got to hug family members and give them our sympathy. We attended the visitation instead of the funeral…during the visitation you can move around and away from people who are coughing and avoid those dipped in perfume/aftershave. I shared  a story with Jim’s son Tori.  When Tori was about two years old we adults (Jim, Lynne, Far Guy and me) were playing cards…Tori was being a turd acting up, he was being a real pill…Jim went to swat him on the bottom and our very protective little Scottie Mutt named Snuffer bit Jim.  Jim had a look of amazement on his face……he didn’t know if he should be mad at the dog or praise her. Jim was the only guy we ever knew who used WD40 on his fish hooks…he said it made the fish bite…we were never convinced.  He was “a classic.”

I mowed the lawn yesterday, dead headed and pinched back some of my flowers and sprayed poison ivy and thistle and worked on leveling the dirt in the driveway.  I was busy all day long.

eye eye

It has been 8 hours and my eyes are still big black pools.  I can hardly wait to go to sleep. I cannot be cranky whilst sleeping.  Good thing it was a cloudy day.  Good thing Far Guy had a meeting last night…Chance will put up with me no matter what kind of mood I am in. 

The bean field

We had storms on Tuesday night but the worst of it went south of us.  We got 1/2 inch of rain so the grass will grow again.

I had an eye appointment… my vision is pretty much the same.  I am getting new reading glasses.  Far Guy picked them out because of course I could see nothing. Isn’t it funny that the time when your eyes are getting dialated is when they want you to pick out new frames?  I know the glasses felt comfortable on my face.  I have another appointment for the usual Vision Field Tests…just to be sure I don’t have glaucoma.  My pressures are slowly going up 16 then 17 and now 18. I may have some cloudy spots that will have to be taken care of someday when they get bad enough, the Doc says my implanted lenses are properly in place and look good except for a few cloudy spots.

I have a headache and I am cranky…my blood pressure was way up…we had to wait about 20 minutes past our appointment time.  I know I am whining.  I will be better when I can see properly.

Far Guy was patient.  Chance went along because the high yesterday was 68F or 20C eh! A tad chilly for July but I hear it will warm up on the weekend.

Cross one appointment off the list. No rest for the wicked this week, one appointment or meeting after another. Next week isn’t looking real relaxing either.

Snow and Eye Event

The west driveway is plugged, snow coming off the fields plugs it up real good.  Years ago we used to abandon that driveway during the winter. 

Joshua plowed it on Sunday afternoon and overnight it plugged up again.  It is a battle with the snow.

The end of the west drive at almost sunset.

We can still use the tree protected south driveway.  We use that one mostly anyway except the mail is delivered to the west driveway cause that is where the mail box is.

It is 9PM on Monday night and it is –30 F or –34 C for my friends that say eh?

I had an event. A Posterior Vitreous Detachment.  I  scheduled a visit with my eye Doc.  He gave me a complete eye exam and it was as I suspected old age related, the vitreous fluid that keeps our eyeball round in shape …slowly shirks and it’s gel like form changes with age and pulls away from the retina, since the vitreous fluid is filled with small fibers you get an increased amount of floaters that have been irritating the crap out of me for the past couple of weeks.  There is NO macular hole or detached retina.  That was good news. My  Doc says to call him if I see flashes of light or if a dark curtain descends over my vision.  I asked if that meant I could call him at home and he replied “Absolutely.”  Hopefully this is the end of the event.  Just another of the rewards of old age.

My eye appointment took a really long time.  Far Guy did all the grocery shopping and errands whilst I was at my appointment and he still had to wait.  Waiting patiently was not easy for him yesterday.

The cold weather is taking it’s toll on each of us differently.  I have a hundred projects to work on and many books to read.  I am reasonably calm at least for the moment.   My husband spends a fair amount of time lamenting the cold weather and worrying/wondering what will break next.  So far this month it was the new DVD player he bought, his Direct TV Signal and the Fireplace sit valve which required many expensive parts and six hours of labor to fix..can you say uffda to THAT bill.  So far this month I fixed two remote controls and an old VCR…three cheers for women who can fix “stuff.”

 

Dreary Days

We have not seen the sun in days..it has been warm..in the 30 degree range..one day almost 40 degrees. Really nice weather for March..but I need me some sun. Sun and blue skies..

I finally got the freaking taxes done and to the accountant. An audible sigh of relief should have been heard across Minnesota. Now it is just a wait to have them completed. I am no good at depreciation schedules..or I could do the darn things myself. I could try..but since I might make some huge mistake and get a large packet in the mail.. and then they will want to know how many times I went to the bathroom in the past year..and whether it was hard or soft..dark or light..smelly or non smelly. I just take them to the accountant, he gets paid well enough to make no errors.


Things I do to occupy myself on dreary rainy days, I clean out drawers and organize "stuff." I have a afternoon nap. I even cooked one day. Neighbors have come for coffee..they were restless. Chance and I went to visit Hooch and Odda, those two are always happy to see me! Chance and I drive aimlessly on the muddy, rutty country roads..looking for some sign of spring. Well if mud is a sign.. then it is here. Then just for fun there is the inevitable Doctors appointment, where everyone knows your first name because you are a regular.


I had my last eye appointment..and a pair of reading glasses was ordered. In ten days I will get them. My eyes are all healed up..better than new. My vision is 20/20 and 20/25. The Doctor says my eyes are still fighting...my right eye was dominant and then since it had the worst cataracts..the left took over cause he is helpful, after the first surgery the right was top dog because he could finally see something, then the left was repaired and all hell broke lose..the left is way better than the right..so after fifty some years of being right eye dominant..I am smack dab in the middle of an eye war. Sometimes they fight so bad, I just have to take charge and close them. It is quite an adjustment not wearing glasses for the first time in fifty years. In a perfect world, I would have the ability to focus and see close up like before..but have the distance vision that I have now. But it is not a perfect world..so I will settle for a pair of prescription readers.


We spring ahead on Saturday night..the last time we sprung ahead..my computer crashed. I wish we could just be on one time. Real Time.. what a novel idea.

All non dreary photos taken last summer:)